Nepgear's Neglectance

The Hunt

     My dreams were horror. In my dreams, I visualized the story Uni had described to me. It was terrible. I awoke slowly and stood up. I went over to my fridge and opened it. I took out some rations and sat in front of the TV. For some reason, the only thing that plays on TV anymore is new laws set by Arfoire. I looked down to my almost empty plate, feeling depressed.

-"Breakfast, the most important meal of the day." I said sarcastically.

     I ate my "breakfast", if it can even be called that, and peeked out my blinds. The sun's light shimmered through. Not losing any time, I grabbed my triple shot plasma bow and ran out the door. Ever since the constantly stormy weather arrived, all the dogoos and other animals went into hiding. But now, as the sun reveals itself, the creatures come back. On days like these, it's the perfect time to hunt. I arrived in a dense and grassy forest and listened. I heard the call of a dogoo to my right and got closer. I saw the blue, gelatinous blob eating grass and some fruit and charged up my bow. I pulled back on the string and made three plasma arrows appear. Hesitantly, I fired. All three hit his neck, killing him. I walked over to it to claim my prize. Here comes the gross part. I can't just eat the slime itself. The only edible part is the layer of meat surrounding its brain. The meat acts as a shield to protect the brain from injuries. I reached into its head and dug around. Once I found it I pulled out my butterfly knife and cut the piece out.

     Nearly throwing up, I cut the piece and put it in my pouch. There is a way to do this without killing them but I don't have any tranquilizers. The meat has regenerative properties so it could re-grow. But it can't...it's kinda sad that we have to kill them but I have to find food somehow. I'd need 139 more of these to sustain myself for 40 more days. No time to waste.

10 HOURS LATER

     It was getting dark out so I returned to my hideout. It was a better hunt than I thought. I managed to get 152 pieces of meat. I walked inside and put all the pieces in the fridge. I got to work on barricading my hideout. Usually, after a hunting day, raiders roam the streets, ransacking houses for the food. I have what would be considered a "massive cache" of food. I can't let them know that though. After reinforcing the walls, barricading the windows and doors and locking down my fridge, I waited with my bow. I looked over to my sun dial to see that it was around 8:30 PM. The raiders would start wandering about now. I waited silently for hours before I finally heard the first door outside getting kicked in. Many familiar sounds kept resonating from the outside. I took a quick glance through the window to see that Arfoire herself was mind controlling the raiders! If they found me, I'd be done for! I looked back at my supplies and took a moment to think. I can't risk losing my food, I'm leaving! Quickly, I pulled the tarp off my jeep and loaded everything I needed. My food, dew collector, TV, fridge and...my last picture with Neptune, something I'd never want to lose.

     I started up the jeep's loud engine and took off immediately. As soon as I turned the corner though, I saw an entire raider battalion! I quickly went into reverse as soon as Arfoire saw me.

-"After her!!" I heard Arfoire say as I drove off.

     I sped up and went into the sixth gear. I looked over my shoulder for a moment to see trucks following me. I put a brick on the gas pedal and went on top of the jeep. Thanks to a little help from the black market, my jeep is now equipped with a mounted turret on the back. I fired at my pursuers with all of my focus on them. I managed to shoot out their tires. They spun out on the side of the road. It looked like I was safe for now...until I saw something flying towards me. Looks like Arfoire caught up to me. I have no idea if conventional weapons will even work on her, but this is all I got. I fired at her before she could get any closer. She seemed to dodge them effortlessly. After a while of me firing at her. She shot something at the turret and destroyed it. I returned back into the driver seat and floored it. It wasn't even worth it, she was right next to me in a matter of seconds. It's then that I saw a tunnel ahead. She wouldn't be able to follow me through there. I drove into it and looked behind me. It looked like I lost her, for now. I kept driving and eventually came out of the tunnel. What I didn't remember was that Arfoire had destroyed all bridges leading in and out of the country. I slammed my foot down on the brakes as I saw the wrecked bridge. All the weight in the back was making it hard to stop. I wasn't gonna make it. I looked back at Arfoire who had a cocky smile as I fell down the canyon.

...

...

...

I don't know how long it was, but by the time I woke up, it was night. I looked around and tried to get up. I fell back down, the pain in my leg was too great. I looked at my leg to see that it was dislocated. I grabbed my leg and braced myself for what I had to do.

-"Come on, come on, come on, I can do this!" I said as I slowly pulled the pieces back. It hurt too much. 

    I had to do it quickly. One more time. I gave my leg one final hard tug to put it back into place.

-"..." I cringed as the pain grew. Eventually, I couldn't stop myself.

-"AHHHHHHHHH!!! FUCK THAT HURT!!!" I said, letting that one word just slip out.

     I got back up and went over to my jeep. I salvaged what I could but almost nothing survived. Aside from a few pieces of meat. I was about to leave when I saw something else, it was my only remaining picture. Except it wasn't...complete.

Only half of the picture was there. I felt a tear roll down my cheek as I fell to my knees, clutching the photo in my hand. Tear drops fell on the picture. This made me remember that one horrible day, the day it all happened. We showed up at Arfoire's doorstep, armed to the teeth. We attacked with everything we had, but Arfoire had her own plan. She anticipated our arrival. She let us survive for some reason...then everything went black. Now it seems that nothing, not even us can stop her now. I've been trying ever since that day to find Histoire and take down Arfoire, but it looks as if Arfoire has her oily claws all over the nation's power, food and water. Now, as I lay here in the dark, I'm starting to wonder if there is indeed an end to this apocalypse. I laid there on the cold rocky floor. In the silence of the night, I heard a church bell ringing out, and in that moment, a new era...was born.